Hearing-Aids-Headphones

Hearing Aids & Headphones

In Ear Health, Headphones, Hearing Aid Technology, Hearing Aids, Hearing Health, Hearing Technology, Lifestyle & Leisure, News by Bary E. Williams Au.D.

Hearing aids change a lot about your life, almost entirely for the best. They help bring clarity to speech and sound and they can help you stay socially engaged with your friends, family, and the activities you love most. Using hearing aids can also help improve your mental and physical wellbeing and eases the cognitive strain that untreated hearing loss causes.

While using hearing aids will certainly change your life for the better, they will take some adjustments to your lifestyle. Wearing hearing aids also means learning how to maintain and care for them, change or recharge their batteries and wear them correctly. While hearing aids work in most situations, there are several situations where you may have to adapt your listening style.

 

Using Headphones

Hearing loss can be a huge blow for any music fan. When left untreated, hearing loss can easily turn a favorite activity like a live concert or even listening to a new record into a frustrating event. Hearing aids can help. While hearing loss permanently changes the way you hear, hearing aids help you recover missing tones and frequencies and can curtail existing hearing loss from worsening.

Listening to music can still present some obstacles, especially with the contemporary focus on personal listening devices. Most headphones aren’t designed with hearing aid compatibility in mind, and most hearing aid styles make wearing headphones difficult. The most common and versatile style of hearing aid today relies on a small receiver that rests behind the ear and transmits sound to the ear canal via a tube or wire to a discreet earpiece placed within the ear canal.

The behind the ear component makes many headphone styles and uncomfortable fit for hearing aid users. Also, signals from hearing aids can interfere with electrical signals from headphones producing audio feedback and interference. This means that for many hearing aid users, finding comfortable headphones that are compatible with their hearing device is more involved than looking for headphones solely based on sound quality or price.

 

Smart Designs

When listening to music is a big part of your life, it’s not something you want to compromise on. Your best bet for hearing aid compatibility is looking for headphones that are especially roomy. Most hearing aids need a clearance of about a half of an inch to prevent feedback from occurring.  Look at over-the-ear headphone designs like a pair of HiFiMan HE-400i headphones or the ATH-M50x from Audio-Technica for a combination of great sound delivery and spacious design.

When shopping for a hearing aid, opting for hearing aid styles that rest completely inside the ear canal can give you more flexibility when looking for the right headphones. ITC (In the Canal) and CIC (Completely in Canal) hearing aids accommodate not just over-the-ear headphones but also more compact on-the-ear styles. The lack of a behind-the-ear component reduces the risk of discomfort or feedback.

 

Listening Options

Finding the right set of headphones isn’t your only option for listening to music with your hearing aids. Many modern hearing aids are being designed with the capacity to stream digital audio from a phone, tablet or other smart device directly to your headphones, replacing the need for headphones or earbuds when experiencing digital content.

Several brands lead the pack in streaming digital sound. Starkey’s Halo was the first hearing aid designed explicitly with iPhone in mind. Halo hearing aids connect with your smartphone to stream audio like phone calls, music and movie sound directly to your ear canal. The Oticon Opn hearing aid has been developing its smartphone interface and adaptability, with added BlueTooth connectivity for even more listening potential.

If listening to music, movies, television and other media is a big part of your life and entertainment, consider hearing aids that emphasize streaming audio. Delivering digital sound directly from your device to your ear canal makes clarity and comprehension easier and more immediate.

 

Exceptional Hearing Care

At Exceptional Hearing Care we know how important your hearing is to you. That’s why we offer complete hearing care tailored to your lifestyle. While hearing loss is permanent, treatment is effective and we’re experts at helping you find the right solution for your hearing issues. Whether you’re keeping up in the boardroom or keeping up with your favorite TV show, your hearing shapes your life, so if you have recently noticed a change in the way you hear don’t wait, call Exceptional Hearing Care for your total hearing health.

Bary E. Williams Au.D.
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